Flight Of The Phoenix
by lunastars
Summary: After finally starting her new life with the team, Ash is finally starting to leave her past behind her. That is until she's offered a piece of her past that might be too good to give up, will it make or break her new found happiness? [SEQUEL to Rebirth And Ashes] - Vince/OC - rating my go up.
1. Past Beginnings

**IMPORTANT A/N: **_Hello everyone! Firstly this is a __**sequel **__to my story __**Rebirth and Ashes**__ if you haven't read it then it might be best to go and read that, but of course you don't have to, it's completely your choice. So yes, this is a sequel… It's a Vince/OC story. Dom and Vince are twenty-two, Leon is twenty-one, Jesse is twenty, Letty is nineteen, Mia is seventeen and my OC (Ash) is twenty. If you read the first one, the ages are different but this story is __**only a few months after the prequel**__._

_It has been a while since I finished Rebirth and Ashes but I wanted to get this sequel done properly because the reviews, follows and favourites on the first one were amazing! However I've still been getting follows and favourites so I guessed I better get started and finally get this out!_

_Sorry for the loooong note. If you have any questions don't be afraid to PM me or put it in a review and I'll get back to you soon or in the next chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

I paid the driver before slipping out of the taxi. I said another quick 'thank you' before shutting the door and running up to the front door. The rain was horrendous, it had been non-stop for three days and still wasn't giving up any. For the past month or so I'd been working in a small café, hoping to take some third party money and put some of it into the garage and the diner for the team. I still wasn't a fond driver and the café was a few blocks away. I'd be drenched if I walked so I considered just getting a slightly better car and just driving for days like this but like usual Vince offered to pick me up. If I finished before him I would get something to eat while I was there or if I finished later then he would come and eat something till the end of my shift. Only issue is that Vince never showed up and he didn't call either, meaning I had to take a taxi with the issue of not knowing if I had the right money. Luckily I was only a couple of dollars short and the guy took pity on me, accepting the money I did have.

Entering the house I closed the door behind me. I shook myself a little as I pulled my jacket off. I hung that up and kicked my shoes off. As I stepped a little further in, I rubbed my hands together. The house was quieter than usual but the team's voices were coming from the kitchen. I could hear Leon going on about something but it was hard to make out enough words to figure out exactly what it was.

"Vince? Where are you?" I called out. "Vince!"

The voices in the kitchen went silent but I knew if he was in there he would have been ratted out, especially by Mia and Letty. I listened for a few moments just to be sure anyway, before I climbed the stairs. I called him a couple of times on the way up, a lot softer this time, but I still got no answer. I started to wonder that maybe he hadn't picked me up because something was wrong, but then wouldn't the team have said something when I called for him?

The bathroom door was open so I knew he wasn't in there. I checked my room even though we usually spent our time in his. It was empty, still messy from when I slept in there a few days back but empty. We only really used my room if I didn't go out with them and didn't want to be disturbed when he got home, or when I really wasn't feeling well and wanted a bed to myself.

The next room I tried was his. I stopped outside his door and tried to listen. When I couldn't hear anything I knocked once and opened the door a little. Two voices spilled out as I opened it further. One of them was Vince but I didn't recognise the other.

I still didn't when I spotted who the voice belonged to. A stranger, a woman, was sat on the bed with Vince. Her legs were crossed and she was leaning over looking at Vince's phone as he held it in his hand. She was smartly dressed, looked like she worked in some kind of office and I guess she wasn't leaning _that_ close into Vince, but it didn't help that he was being typical Vince and only wearing his boxers and a tight t-shirt - clearly he had gone to lie down at some point and hadn't bothered to change into something more appropriate. Clearly neither of them had heard me because neither of them looked up, not until she laughed at something and Vince finally looked up, spotting me.

"Oh, hey Ash," he said, casually as anything.

"Where were you?"

"I was busy…"

I looked at the woman sitting next to him. Strawberry-blonde hair, green eyes, pretty face, the works. "I can see that."

I stepped back out of the room and headed back down the hall. I heard the bed creak and I knew they were getting up. I'm sure Vince called my name but I was already almost down the stairs and he was only just coming out of the bedroom. When he got closer to the stairs he called for me a couple more times.

I was nearly at the front door. It was still raining but the rain would drown out him calling for me and any negative thoughts. However when I went to open the door it was pushed shut forcefully. I turned around to see who it was, only to be faced with Dom.

"What's going on?"

"I wanted some fresh air," I explained, taking a step back from the door.

"It's pouring down," Dom commented. "What could possibly make you want to go out in that?"

I turned to the stairs and motioned to where Vince and the woman were standing. I noticed that the others were stood nearby too. They all (including Dom) looked to where I was motioning.

"I know what you're probably thinking," Vince said to me, raising his hands in defence.

"What we're all thinking," Letty mumbled.

"Hey! That's not fair," Vince argued.

"You had a woman upstairs that none of us knew about," Leon commented. "An attractive one at that."

"I wasn't thinking anything," I commented, glaring at Vince. "I am now."

"They don't know because I didn't want _you_ to know," he said hurriedly. "And I mean that in an innocent way."

"V, do you mean anything in an innocent way?" Leon joked, high-fiving Jesse behind Mia's back.

"She's a lawyer," Vince sighed, rolling his eyes at Leon's comment.

"A lawyer for what?" Mia frowned.

"I didn't call her, she came here looking for you, Ash."

Everyone looked between the woman and I. "Me?"

She nodded, stepping down the stairs. "Look, I'm sorry for the confusion. I'm Robin."

I shook her hand, trying to remember if I knew her. "What's this about?"

"You worked at my parents bar."

I dropped her hand instantly. There had only ever been one bar in my life. "I didn't work there, my boyfriend at the time did."

"That must be Nate."

I didn't look at any of the team. "Yeah, that was him."

"Well my parents… They shouldn't be running a bar and they've finally agreed with that these past couple of months. They moved to somewhere a little hotter and a lot quieter. They need the rest but the thing is they left me the bar."

"And you don't want it?" I guessed.

"Not really, I have a job, I don't have time to run a bar and sort out staff."

"What's wrong with the staff?"

"They have families and Nate's not around," she explained. "I've heard about you from the regulars, my parents…"

I could guess that those regulars were Jamie, Del and David. They'd continued drinking there after Nate was no longer working behind the bar. "I'm underage."

"I know," she agreed. "The bar would be completely yours, free of charge with exceptions though."

"What exceptions?"

"You need to sort out some staff and you'll need someone you trust, who is over the legal drinking age, to provide a second signature to verify most things," she explained. "In terms of money… My parents want 25% of the takings every month, some needs to go back into keeping the bar going and the rest goes on wages for you and the staff."

"So I give up 25% of the money made every month, I have to hire new people and I need a guardian, partner type thing?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "Technically the bar will be yours but the person you ask to join you, will be a partner of sorts, who will sign for drinks and stuff like that but you need to sign it to confirm that as the primary owner you agree."

"Is it even legal for me to be classed as any kind of owner? I know I only have about a year to go but still…"

She tapped the side of her nose with a smile in a secretive manner. "A big priority as a lawyer is to find loop holes in absolutely everything."

"Apparently so," I mumbled, thinking about everything.

"Look, I get it's a hard decision, but my office isn't in LA," she explained. "I'm here on other business but I'll definitely be going back in about a week. So I'm going to leave you some things, is that okay?"

"Oh, erm, yeah… Sure, I guess that's okay."

She handed me over a plastic folder. "It's not everything of course but it's basic stuff. Monthly plans, average income, contact details, suppliers, schedules, you get the drift. Just look through everything and see if the bar is something you're interested in. My parents are on board with you taking over for them. So my card is inside if you decide you do want to. If not I'll be around in about a week to pick that folder up before I go."

"I'll hopefully call you before the end of the week."

"I hope so," she agreed, heading towards the door. "I'm so sorry for the confusion before. I have a habit of dropping by unexpectedly at times."

"No need to be sorry," I assured.

She smiled and thanked me briefly as I opened the door for her. She said a quick goodbye before slipping out and running down to a car parked nearby. I shut the door when she reached it and turned to face everyone. They were all looked at me and then at Vince.

Honestly I was surprised none of them intervened, especially when Nate came up or the fact that she was hoping I would take the bar.

"So, care to explain why she was hiding in your room?" Dom asked Vince.

"Remember I came home early because I wanted to pick up some cash before going to get Ash?"

"I remember."

"Well I was out of it, I showered up and got changed into something comfy. I wanted to kill some time for an hour or so before I left, but as I went to sit down she came to the door," he explained. "I wasn't going to let her in but then she explained about the bar. I knew in a heartbeat Ash would say no."

"You don't know that," Leon spoke up.

"He's not entirely wrong," I admitted. "If I'd have found her, the second she mentioned the bar I would have said no, the only reason I let her go on was because I wasn't expecting that explanation for her being here."

"I knew she'd say no because of Nate but I wanted her to really think about it without anyone interfering so I took Robin upstairs," Vince explained. "I knew you guys would be back so I got changed into something more comfortable and lied, telling you guys that Ash had called and told me she was staying a little later and would get a taxi. I didn't tell you Ash because I knew you'd call them for a lift."

"Why do you want me to even consider this?"

"Because Jamie and that are there and you need something that's just yours. We have our cars and the garage. Mia has school and then eventually college. What do you have?"

"I have you guys."

"And a crappy job at a café," Leon agreed. "He's right, this bar would be yours really."

"I still need someone to sign papers and only three of you are eligible," I reminded. "Unless I include Jamie, David and Del into the mix."

"I didn't do this so I could be your partner or anything," Vince assured. "You can pick whoever you want, I did this because then you'll have something to focus on."

"Because we aren't getting a house any time soon?"

He rubbed the back of his head, looking at the ground. "I'm trying Ash."

"I know," I assured. "And if we can't get our own place, that's fine, I don't need a distraction."

"Just think about it, please?"

"Fine," I agreed reluctantly. "I'll think about it, there's even a little apartment above it, I'm sure we could use that."

Vince grinned, coming over to me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in closer. As his lips pressed against mine I knew he was sold on the idea of me owning the bar for sure. I smiling into the kiss, feeling the persuasion slowly wash over me. Vince was holding me so close to him I'm sure there wasn't even a slither of space between us. I was practically on the tips of my toes as I kissed back with as much force.

I'm sure Vince would have stepped it up a notch in response if it wasn't for Letty pretending to be sick behind us and Dom coughing loudly. I smiled against his lips as he pulled away. He raised a hand towards the team and I could imagine what gesture he was giving them. I chuckled, kissing him once more.

"Seen as you want to me to consider this you're going to have to help me with preparations," I told him.

"I have my own job," he commented.

"And I have another one for you… We both know which one you'll end up doing."

As I moved away and headed for the kitchen I heard him groan behind me. In the few months that passed we'd been getting on really well and making plans for our future but I'd also learned a thing or two so when I really needed to I could get my own way. During this week there were going to be plenty of those times.

* * *

**A/N: **_Kind of just opening it up for you guys really. I hope you enjoyed the start anyway. Again, any questions don't be afraid to PM me or leave it in a review!_

R&R


	2. Drink To The Good Times

What had happened with Robin and the bar wasn't brought up again. Mia went straight to finishing the dinner and while we ate we discussed the weekend. Saturday would be a race night. There was going to be the usual after party at the house so of course that was heavily discussed. Not that it needed to be, it was clear they knew what they were doing, even I knew what I was doing because these parties all went the same way. Even if they didn't they were easily resolved, all the boys had to do was yell and the place was clear in seconds.

After dinner I offered to do the dishes, and to my surprise so did Vince. I wondered how many more times he was going to surprise me in one night. Granted he was just leaning against the counter, slowly drying what I washed and piling them up, but none of the boys did dishes. After dinner they would rush to the living room and play video games. That's why the dishes were usually a job done by me, Mia or Letty.

"Why are you helping me out?"

"I help on occasion."

"Never with the dishes though," I pointed out.

"Well, I figured you might want some help."

I stopped what I was doing and looked at him. "Why are you so up for me having this bar? You should want it out of my life completely."

"I know you liked that place, and I know it wasn't all because of Nate."

"A bar is a lot of work anyway," I mumbled, going back to the dishes.

"Then let's make a deal."

I continued on with my work but I glanced his way, giving him a suspicious look. "What kind of deal?"

"We figure out what needs to be done, if we can get everything together before the end of the week then you take the bar and give it a shot," he explained. "If we can't get it together then you can turn it down, no arguments, suasion or anything. Ash, I just want you to be happy and I think trying this will help with that in the long run."

I thought about it. It wasn't a bad idea really. One of the big issues with taking the bar was not knowing whether or not we would be able to get everything sorted and actually make a living. If we got most things sorted then it would prove something. Naturally I was going to rope Vince into every second of this. If he wanted to play then he was getting his hands dirty.

"Fine, you have a deal."

* * *

The next day was our first step in this new deal. Vince and I decided that the best thing to do would be to visit the bar. I hadn't been there since Nate was around. Jamie, Del and David still went but I never went with them. It seemed like such a stupid step but really, if I couldn't even step inside the place, what would be the point in owning it?

I booked a few hours off of work. Vince didn't exactly have to seen as his boss knew his plans already, plus Dom ended up coming with us anyway. I was surprised that he choose to, and honestly I didn't need the two of them but he seemed persistent. Even Vince relented and agreed he should come in the end. It was like they were anticipating me coming close to a break down. I kind of hate it when they're right.

"Ash?"

We had arrived at the bar. When we got out of the car the boys had headed over but I stayed where I was. Even though it took us longer to get here due to our delay of picking up some keys, I still didn't anticipate it too much, until now. Vince and Dom were looking back at me, worry clear. It was Vince who came over to me. He wrapped his arm around me softly. I was trying to hard to remember how to breath properly.

"What is it?"

"Taking this bar is a bad idea," I told him.

"You need to give it a shot," he said softly. "If you feel the same we'll turn right back around and never look back."

Looking at it, I still loved it. The company wasn't always good and it was filled with smoke more often than not but it was always the same. It was familiar. There were rarely new faces so it made it easier to keep up with everyone and feel comfortable with them. Of course there were those regulars who weren't exactly good company but they were harshly outnumbered by the good people.

"Do I have to?" I asked, trying to keep the whine out of my voice.

"No, but I think you want to," Dom laughed, coming closer. "I mean, are you telling me you're not curious about what it looks like in there? Or if it still smells the same?"

"There's no one in there," Vince assured me. "Robin said the decision was made a little over a week ago so it's been closed since then. It being crowded is one thing not to worry about."

"And I can leave at any time?"

"Any time," they both confirmed.

I took a deep breath before walking. I went first, knowing that if they were behind me I was less likely to run away from this. It couldn't be that hard, right? It was only a bar, nothing more to it. At least that's what I kept telling myself as I walked up to the front door. When we got to it Dom opened it with the key Robin had let us borrow and stepped back. I reached out to touch it, reassuring myself once again, before I pushed the door open.

Even though it had been closed for about a week, the smell of smoke was still strong. That hit me first, then the smell of alcohol. Two things I'd need to sort out, at least at first. It was dark too but now that I thought about it there wasn't much difference to when the lights were on, maybe I'd need to sort those out too. As I stepped inside I kept analysing, hoping it would help but it didn't. Absolutely nothing about the place had changed, it was the exact same thing, down to every last detail. Even the photos behind the bar were still hung up. I'd expected it to look a bit more bare but it wasn't. I got ready to leave but as my eyes swept the bar I spotted three regulars sitting at the end of the bar.

"Service here is terrible," Jamie called.

I grinned as Del and David turned to face me as well.

"How the hell did you guys get in here?"

"Robin helped with that," Dom explained.

"Thought you'd get suspicious when even our detour took a long time," Vince laughed.

"I hate you guys," I mumbled, stepping further into the bar.

David stood up and allowed me to take his seat. "You don't hate us," he laughed. "You're going to get through this because of us."

"What are you doing here anyway?" I questioned, wanting to know their part in the plan.

"We're here to remind you," Del spoke up. "About how much this place meant to you, and what good it can do."

"We think you can love it again and use it for your own good," Jamie said softly.

"Guys, it doesn't matter, I'm not taking it," I said, getting up off of the stool.

Jamie placed a piece of paper on the bar. "That's a list of names. Names of all the regulars. Each of them said that they would be more than happy to see your face in here again. Even if only briefly."

I took the list, reading through it. "This many?"

"Now do you want to hear us out?" David questioned.

"Better get me a drink then," I sighed, sitting down again.

* * *

R&R


	3. Shoe Box Houses

After speaking to the boys I felt much better. They reminded me of how many fun times I had at the bar. From stories like how they would sneak me an extra shot here and there to how they made me judge their darts and pool games to see if anyone was cheating. They kept me involved as much as possible. Sitting at the bar, slowly drinking something they bought me and talking away really did take me back. The best part about it was that it didn't bother me, it just felt natural.

They made this whole thing a little more easy by offering to look around. Vince had mentioned how we were going to go about this, when he mentioned hiring new staff, Jamie, Del and David offered to spread the word about potential work. They travelled around a lot and they knew quite a few people so hopefully that would make sure it got done a lot quicker.

We all had a discussion about what details they could tell people. We then had another drink before we were off. On the way back Vince kept looking at me with a huge grin on his face. It seemed like he had predicted I could do it really, that turning this place down would be a hard choice in the end. It was nice to know he had some faith in me but it didn't stop me from wanting to smack the smug look off of his face.

When we got home we decided to continue on with our work. We hadn't been at the bar as long as it seemed so I had a couple more hours to kill. I grabbed some snacks and coffee. Vince, Dom and I then sat around the living room, sharing the list of suppliers. We wanted to make sure they were willing to supply and also to work out what kind of payment plans they could offer if we were to continue on with the bar. Between the three of us we made a pretty good dent in the list before I had to get ready for work.

* * *

"So how come you're taking so much time off?"

I looked back at Andy. He was the main cook at the cafe I worked at. He liked to make conversation with the waitresses if they had nothing to do while waiting for the food to cook. I made my way over to the small window to pick up the order he had just finished cooking up.

"I might have a little investment coming my way."

I picked up the plate of food and walked away. I took it over to the appropriate table. My boss hadn't really questioned my time off, maybe because I hadn't taken any off since starting the job.. Now Andy was asking questions. It would be a fun thing to explain... I got offered a bar without really paying for it but I'm on the fence about whether to take it or not. I mean, who wouldn't take it? Me, apparently.

"What kind of investment?" Andy asked when I got back behind the counter.

"A bar," I sighed.

"Aren't you a bit young?"

"I'd own it but I wouldn't completely run it, not till I'm of age."

"How much is that going to cost you?"

I shrugged. "Depends how you look at it."

"And that means?"

"I'm not exactly paying," I explained. "But I am giving a percentage of the earnings each month to the owners so in a sense I am."

"Well that's not bad, at least if it doesn't work out then you didn't fork out thousands or hundredths of thousands for it."

"Always finding that silver lining huh, Andy?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, next orders up."

I shook my head and grabbed the new plates. He wasn't completely wrong, in fact it seemed like I was the only one that was.

* * *

After work I found out that Vince and Dom had done a little more. Thanks to the others they were able to work out whether or not this whole bar thing would be a good investment. They put together a plan on how things should go money wise, based on what things would cost and how busy the place usually was. It really did seem like a good little investment. There wasn't a lot of money to be made at first but eventually that would grow into a reasonable profit.

The next day I took that information on board and decided to do a full days work. Out of the list of things we were going to do this week, we had done most of them so this was going to be a day where I did normal things. I did discuss the bar a little more with Andy but over all we were so rushed off our feet, making it impossible to think or do anything.

After work Vince picked me up. He came right on time for me finishing, not leaving the car, just waiting for me to come out. When I did he didn't say a word, just drove off once my seatbelt was on. It wasn't rare that he would do things outside of the norm but this time it felt different. Like he really was up to something. We were almost back at the house when he finally spoke.

"The race has been moved to tomorrow night, instead of Saturday," he explained. "I was going to surprise you tomorrow but with a little help from some people I'm going to do it now."

"What surprise?"

"It's only little right now, but we're almost there, you'll see."

I wanted to ask more questions but I saw the house come into view. He parked up and the two of us were eagerly out of the car. I was ahead of him all the way to the front door but before I could open it he cut in front of me. He held my hand before opening the door. He led me inside, making sure I was walking behind him the whole time.

When we entered the living room everyone was sat around. There were no games, music or TV on. Everyone looked like they had been talking together, doing something between them. Dom, Letty and Mia were on the couch while Jesse and Leon were on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Vince led me in closer. As we moved over to the free arm chair I spotted some shoe boxes on the table. Vince sat down on the chair before I could really look at them and pulled me onto his lap.

"What's this surprise?" I asked, motioning to the shoe boxes on the table.

"They each represent a room above the bar," he explained.

"The bar?"

"I'm not rushing you into a decision," he assured. "But I wanted to show you the biggest benefit for us. A place we can call ours while we save up for somewhere bigger."

Living together had been top priority for Vince and I. It was the biggest attraction for the bar. We would have somewhere to stay if we needed it and the cost was included in the bar so we wouldn't be paying extra. It would help us save a lot for getting somewhere bigger. Somewhere with a garden and a maybe a couple of extra bedrooms. A family was far from our minds but it would always be considered when planning things.

"So show me."

He grinned. "Mia helped me the most but everyone did their bit. We used pictures from magazines to show where things might go. We can get as much of it as possible but I promise we'll get all the nice pieces really soon. Go on, take a look."

I slipped off of his lap. I looked at all the rooms. A bathroom, a master bedroom, a spare room, a kitchen and a living room area. I noticed that every room had almost all the details I wanted when we were talking about getting our own place. From the beach wood theme in the kitchen to the fairy lights for the window in our room. It was perfect really. I could imagine what it would all look like for real.

The concept of seeing it in shoe boxes made it all seem a bit funny but it helped. It made me smile to think that this could be mine and Vince's. It would give everyone more space in the house. Leon and Jesse could move out from the basement for starters. Vince and I could actually have some alone time without worrying about the others.

"You're okay with it looking like this?" I asked Vince.

"Every single bit of it."

"Even the fairy lights?"

He chuckled, pulling me back up onto his lap. "Even the fairy lights."

"Pink ones?" I asked, brow raised.

He paused. "Okay, maybe not pink. How about blue? Or even purple?"

"Both sound good to me," I grinned. "I'm sure we'll work something out."

"Of course we will," he said, serious now. "This whole thing is yours. I want it to feel like yours, but I get the feeling that you're not gonna mind me hanging around so I cut to the chase and planned for the two of us. But we'll keep saving, _I'll_ keep saving. Soon I'll be able to give you everything you ever wanted."

I kissed him. "I've got everything I ever wanted."

* * *

**A/N: **_Not sure how I feel but, happy Ash and Vince! :3 Next up is a race and after party and MAYBE Ash's decision for the bar._

R&R


	4. The Way You Look At Me

"Ash."

I groaned as Mia's voice drifted down to me in a sing-song voice. Tonight was race night which meant that Mia was going to rope Letty and myself into getting dressed, and getting dressed with Mia meant having the full works; make-up, hair, everything.

"What?!" I yelled up.

"You know what, now get up here!" she called back. "Letty isn't putting up a fight!"

"I'm busy."

"Lying on the couch with Vince does not count as being busy."

Vince chuckled and I looked up at him. We were both on the couch. He had been sitting with his back against the arms of the couch, legs stretched out in front of him after our early dinner. After doing the dishes I'd situated myself between his legs and leaned back into his chest. Gradually I'd rolled onto my side and curled up, coming close to falling asleep.

"You better go," he said in an amused tone.

I grabbed his arm and wrapped it tighter around me. "No."

"Don't get me involved," he warned. "Plus you've got to get ready at some point anyway."

"Yeah, last minute when Mia will have no time to put any effort in."

"You know she'll gladly miss the race."

I frowned. He was right and I didn't want to miss it. I loved race night. It was great to get out, even if I didn't race myself, I loved watching them do it. It was one of those things that was always done as a family and missing it was just not an option.

"Fine, but if I look like a clown it's your fault."

I pushed myself up from the couch. I hit Vince hard on the back of the head for his laughter before I walked away.

* * *

"Mia," I groaned a few hours later. "I look… I look… I look ridiculous!"

"There's nothing wrong with you," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"At least you have decent clothes on," Letty mumbled. I looked up to see her looking in the mirror. The outfit involved a skirt, an all too revealing top and boots. I'd seen Letty wear similar outfits but pink wouldn't be a colour she would choose for the top and the boots had heels. Even though the heels were chunky and small, she still didn't seem happy. I think it was the fact that she had come so close to an outfit she would pick out that pissed her off more. "Pink is so not my colour, you could have at least picked a dark shade of pink!"

"You need to wear brighter colours more often," Mia remarked.

"I wear white at work, that's bright."

"Yeah, _at_ work," Mia sighed. "It comes out black more often than not."

"My exact intentions."

"Well I'll swap you for my make-up," I muttered, examining my face in the hand mirror. I wasn't against make-up, I just didn't have the same agreement as Mia. "Do I need this much on my eyes? And I look like I'm constantly embarrassed!"

"You look like you have a nice glow, it's refreshing," Mia commented. "And it's a smokey affect. It's practically natural colours anyway."

"At least take some of this eye shadow off, I only need one shade."

"Nope," Mia said firmly. "I already agreed to let you wear clear lip balm instead of something with a bit of colour, I'm not making any more compromises."

"Well don't complain tonight when you're brother is all over me and you can hear us through the walls," Letty muttered as she snatched up her leather jacket and headed out of the room.

"You could always say no to him!" she called as she followed Letty out.

"Fat chance of that," I scoffed as I trailed behind them. "She's just as bad as him."

"Like you're any better," Letty laughed. "Unless I'm mistaken and it wasn't you and Vince who kept the whole house awake till past 4 am last race night."

The boys laughed loudly. We were almost half-way down the stairs, they must have caught the tail end of our conversation. I blushed furiously. Vince and I were constantly with each other, just like Dom and Letty. However, like his best friend, on race nights Vince seemed to get even more touchy feely. I could barely get a moment alone. I could always sense his arousal a mile off, it was that strong.

As I hit the bottom of the stairs my eyes landed on Vince. He was grinning from ear to ear. I made my way over to him. He wrapped an arm around me as I buried my face against his chest. As the laughter died down, everyone grabbed their keys or last minute things before we headed outside to the cars. I could still sense Vince's smile as he kissed the top of my head when we reached his car. I separated myself from him and got into the passenger side.

"You know it's not just on race night, right?"

I glanced at him as he reversed us out of the drive. "What's not just on race night?"

"Me being all over you," he explained. "I want you just as much all the time, there's just something about race night."

I smirked. "What about race night?"

"The way you look at me for starters."

"The way I look at you?"

"That excited look on your face whenever I race, before you even know the outcome, you look like you're the luckiest girl alive... Even when I don't race, as we mingle with people and you're asked about me, you get that same look."

"I am the luckiest girl alive," I told him. "I feel like that every single day, not just on race night."

"I guess I just notice it more when we're at the races, I don't know what it is, maybe it's just so different. It's a family thing, a tradition but at the same time I can feel completely alone with you."

"So you're blaming me for that almighty erection you have going on every time?"

He burst out laughing, the car swaying slightly. "Even after all this time you can still surprise me."

"It's an honest question," I grinned. "I mean, if we're using that logic I should have that effect on you more often."

"More often than you think," he assured.

I smiled, settling back in my seat. "You know I get that same look every single day, that I feel that way all of the time. I'm so lucky to have you, V and I know that. I'm constantly thankful that you're mine."

"Yeah, I do put up with ya don't I?"

I rolled my eyes, hitting him hard on the arm as he chuckled. "I love you too," I mumbled.

He took his eyes off of the road long enough to lean over and kiss my temple. "Love you, Ash."

My smile broke through again at his childish tone. I loved that about us, how everything was so simple now.

* * *

Mia jumped up and down and hugged me as Vince crossed the finish line in first place. It had originally been Dom's race but when Dom was challenged to another race he gave up his place to Vince. The stakes were high and the other racers were some of the best. I had every faith that Vince could do it but there was still that tense feeling from everyone watching.

"We win every damn time," Letty mumbled, rolling her eyes at Mia's reaction.

She was sat on the hood of her own car. I leaning against the side of Leon's car which was beside Letty's. Jesse had wandered off with Dom when Vince's race had started in order to check out the car and speak to him at the end. Leon was inside his car, checking the radios every now and again.

"But we always have time to prepare," Mia argued." Vince didn't get to prepare."

"They always prepare themselves."

"Letty ain't wrong," Leon agreed, sticking his head out of the window. "Even Jesse prepares."

"Don't you dare talk like this around Vince," I told them, pushing on Leon's head to put him back inside the car. "It'll piss him off if you take this win from him."

"Better go congratulate him then before we can do anything," Leon commented.

I looked up to see Vince getting out of his car. Dom and Jesse getting out of it too. He looked at everyone before his eyes landed on me last. He grinned as he made his way over to me. As he got closer I pushed myself away from Leon's car. I met him half-way. We both stopped, a tiny bit of space between us. I looked up at him. Eventually we both just broke into a smile and he scooped me up into a hug. I laughed as he swung me round and kissed me firmly.

As he set me down he kissed me once again before taking my hand in his. He led me back to the others. We took up my original position, except Vince leaned against the car while I stood between his legs and leaned back against him. There were a couple of smaller races left before the after-party back at the Fort so we decided to stick around and watch them. From our place we could see the finish line pretty clearly.

We paid enough attention but really we got lost in talking to each other. Vince was in a happy mood due to winning an unexpected race. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, holding me close and kissing my neck and temple every so often. Leon was still in his car but he leaned out through the window to join in on our conversations. Letty was still sat on the hood of her car with Dom stood between her legs. Jesse sat in the front of Letty's car with the door open so that he could keep his legs outside of the car, while Mia sat in the back doing the same thing.

* * *

We left the races a lot later than we usually did, meaning by time we got back the house was flooded within minutes. Barely any of us had time to do our usual preparation. Mia slipped upstairs quickly to freshen up, Leon and Jesse got some extra drink out of the basement, Letty went to switch on the music and Dom moved any valuables to a safer place. Vince and I were standing just outside the open door, talking to people as they came up, giving that few seconds of delay between each person who entered.

After a few people Dom signalled to us that we could come back inside. Vince nodded his head to show we had heard before he came over to me. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. "You've been quiet all night."

"I've been enjoying seeing you smile so much."

"You normally tease me," he commented. "There's something else on your mind, I know there is."

"I'm taking the bar," I told him. "I've been thinking about it all night, in the back of my mind. As long as Jamie, David and Del can find some interested people I'll take it."

"What made up your mind?"

"You guys have your cars and your racing," I explained. "I'll have this. Plus, I've been an idiot these past few days. My past with Nate was stopping me from taking the one place that felt familiar to me. I love you guys and I love this place but that bar was more of a home to me than even that little apartment I used to live in."

"So drinks on you then?"

I hit him hard on the chest. "No way, you can pay for your own damn drinks."

"Not even one?" he asked, pouting his lip.

"Nope, not even one, maybe on your birthday or something," I grinned.

"Come on, you know I can pay you back."

I rolled my eyes and walked away as he winked at me. Before I could get too far he grabbed me and pulled me back against his chest. I laughed as he kissed my neck repeatedly, and reached round to shut the door. He pulled me away from it. I gasped as he spun me around and pinned me against the wall. I gulped at the look in his eyes. He grinned from ear to ear. My hands tangled themselves in his hair as he kissed me. I kissed him back, biting his lip. Barely breaking contact he moved his body away from mine, before lifting me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me back inside.

* * *

**A/N: **_We're only four chapters in so I can't promise too much drama just yet, but it will happen. After the bar opens you'll see drama creep its way in till we reach the biggest one of the story. :)_

_R&R_


	5. Signing Papers

I jumped down the last two or three steps and moved into the living room. I moved over to the couch where Vince lay. He was on his front, his arms folded to create some kind of pillow. His head was to the side, his bottom lip pushed out as he snored lightly. I made my way over to him. I lifted my foot and nudged his side with it.

"V, get up, we need to go."

He groaned, rolling over so his back was to me and he was facing the back of the couch. "Go where?"

"Out, now get up."

"Out where?" he mumbled. "I don't wanna go anywhere."

"It's not my fault you decided to do shots last night, and anyway Jamie just called, there's people interested in working at the bar," I explained. "I'm meeting with Robin to sign some papers, I thought you would want to come."

"Will there be food?" he questioned, looking over at me.

"I'm meeting her at my cafe, so yes, there will be."

"Are you handing in your notice?"

"I'm planning on it, we'll see how today goes. Now hurry up, we're meeting her in twenty."

He eventually rolled off of the couch and stumbled away towards the stairs. I flopped down on the couch, chuckling at how sluggish his movements were. At some point he had decided that it would be a great idea to do shots. Like always he drank more than me, resulting him being worse for wear the next morning.

I got comfortable. Getting ready would normally take Vince five, ten minutes but now it would be more, ten, fifteen. It was a good things that I was confident we could get there in time to meet up with Robin. Hopefully there would be very little to talk about but I knew that I would more than likely have a lot of paper work to sit through once I'd signed everything.

I was sat there verging on fifteen minutes when Vince finally came back down. I got up and joined him as he moved to the front door. I ruffled up his already messy hair, using my other hand to swipe his car keys out of his hand. I rarely drove his car but he was smart enough to know when to let me. This was one of those occasions. I was the more likely one of us two to be under the limit.

"Do you know who you're picking?"

"Picking for what?" I asked as we got to his car.

"Who's going to be the second signature, help you run things?"

"Oh, that." I opened the car and slipped into the front, Vince getting in the other side. "I've got some idea."

"And that idea is...?"

I looked over at him. "You'll have to wait and find out."

* * *

Turns out that decision was something that Vince was really determined to find out about. I could see him getting more anxious as we discussed everything with Robin. Before anything was signed she wanted to go through everything in more detail. Anything and everything from contracts with suppliers that weren't finished yet to money details to any secrets about running the place.

We each ordered lunch, eating while we discussed. We must have been there a good couple of hours before we actually got round to signing anything. I had to sign various documents and whoever I chose to help would have to sign them too as well as a separate contract that stated that they were working under my orders.

"Who have you chosen to help you?" Robin asked, looking between Vince and I.

"I chose two people, actually, one of them isn't here but he said I could leave you his number to get in contact. He said any time after today would be fine, he had some sort of meeting."

"That'll do fine," she agreed.

"Wait, I'm the last to know about this?" Vince asked.

"I wanted it to be my decision, the only reason he knew was because I wanted to make sure he wasn't out of town," I told Vince before looking at Robin. "I choose Vince and my friend Jamie. If one of them is out of town or not available then I have the other."

"Nice way to plan ahead, I like it," Robin chuckled, pushing the papers towards Vince. "Sign wherever she's signed."

"Why us two?" he asked as he started to sign the papers.

"Well you were right, I want you involved and Jamie knows the bar like the back of his hand," I explained. "You two were the most logical choice I could make. Plus if I need help making decisions I have two people I can go to and we won't get stuck at an impasse."

"This will be interesting," he laughed.

"Don't cause trouble," I warned. "I have the right to kick you off this whole thing."

"She's right," Robin chuckled. "I'd be careful if I were you."

"Oh, I'm good," he grinned, pushing the papers back and leaning back.

"Well in a few days it won't be my issue," Robin sighed. "I'm going to hopefully get your friend's signature tomorrow and then these should be filled within the next couple of days following."

I wrote down Jamie's number on a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Any time from tomorrow onwards is great."

"I'll call him around lunch time," she decided. Slipping some keys and paper work towards me. "I'm fine with you having everything you need until it goes through officially. Get as much done as you can but I'd leave ordering drink until it's in your name. You should get a letter or a phone call when that happens."

"Thank you for this," I told her. "Feel free to come in any time you're in town."

"I'll be sure to do that," she agreed. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

"You too," I called after her as she left.

Vince put his arm along the back of the bench. I shuffled in closer to him. "So, how do you feel?"

"I feel good," I told him honestly. "I'm not looking forward to sorting this out though."

"I'll help you," he promised. "We all will."

* * *

After the cafe we had spent the rest of the day and night as a team. They asked me various questions about the bar and what would happen now, I tried to answer all of them as best as I could. Besides a night at home with the team I also handed in my two weeks notice. I hoped that the bar would take roughly that long to sort out, just so long as it wasn't open before then I would be fine.

However, everything started fresh a couple of days later on Monday. While I was at work David, Del and Jamie went through the contacts they had made and started the hiring process. They conducted interviews and I of course would be part of the final decisions. As well as doing that they all offered to help do some DIY work around the place. I had made a list and seen as the team had the garage, they had opted to get started.

They must have been pretty determined because when I finished my shift and decided to check out the bar, it looked completely different. All the broken chairs and tables had been fixed, almost all of the wooden furniture had been sanded and painted to look more fresh, in fact the entire bar was touched up with paint. I could see there was a bit of work to be done still but over all it looked amazing.

"You could have spaced the work out a bit," I said.

The three of them turned to look at me. They were all sat at the bar, taking a break. "And why would we do that?" David grinned.

"Well you've done an amazing job so far," I complimented, making my way over to them. "What about the hiring process?"

"We should have everything done soon," Del explained. "Most of the bulky jobs are out of the way now."

"As for the hiring process, we have some names." Jamie pushed a few papers towards me. "The list on top is the name of everyone who got in contact. The crossed out ones are in our opinion, a no go. The circled ones are the best fits. Every single persons details are there, including our notes on them."

"Thanks for this, guys," I told them. "It means a lot."

"When are you hoping to get all of this done by?" Jamie asked.

"About two weeks, I'm finishing my job at the cafe then so it would be nice to go straight into this."

"We've got you," David promised.

I settled down properly in my own seat. I trusted them. The team were going to do what they could as well so really it should be open in two weeks. For now I would settle into looking through the hiring process and waiting for the confirmation that the place was officially mine to come through.

* * *

**A/N: **_Up next is a time jump :)_

_R&R_


	6. Last Minute Things

**Two Weeks Later...**

The bar was almost completely done. All of the things I wanted to fix and update had been done. Everything looked all shiny and new with a few added features here and there. It was still pretty much the same bar, I tried my hardest not to take away it's personality so that the regulars would keep coming back and draw in more people.

For bar work we hired three people. It would be a starting point and expanding could be done if need be. Lucy, Anna and Niall were the three we hired. They were all similar enough to get on. Each of them had had some kind of experience in this style of work but they were desperate for something a little different to their previous jobs. That constantly came over as determination to get the job done good. I knew after a few weeks they would settle into the job and my reasons for hiring them would be crystal clear.

The last of the preparation work was being done. The last of the stock had come and had been stored or set up. I made sure to have meetings with our suppliers to make sure we were on good terms and to assure them that we were still a business they would want to work with. The meetings just helped to reaffirm that we were opening and it was going to go well. The last thing we needed to do was to try everything out.

"So, the grand opening is this Saturday," Leon sang as he came into the bar, Jesse coming in behind him.

"What are you two doing here?" I questioned. "You should be at work."

"V told us when the grand opening would be so we figured we'd drop by," Leon explained.

"He really just wanted to be nosey," Jesse laughed. "Do you need help with anything?"

I motioned to the glasses. "Take a couple each and test the pumps for me. I tried everything on the public side of the bar, it's just behind the bar that needs checked."

"Have you sorted out the upstairs yet?" Leon asked as he and Jesse went round to do as I asked.

"No," I admitted. "We're going to be doing that as we go along."

"Another project for, V," Jesse chuckled.

Leon and I joined in and the conversation went on from there. It was nice to be able to relax. I had a few days before we opened up. A few days to tie up some very small loose ends and get some decent down time before things got hectic. I was kind of happy that I couldn't actually work the bar just yet, it meant that I could take a back seat.

* * *

The next day I checked in on Lucy, Anna and Niall. I wanted to make sure they were still okay with everything and to answer any questions they may have. It wasn't too hard staying on the same page as everyone else because I saw them regularly, these guys I wouldn't see that often until they started work so I wanted to make sure that we didn't do anything to upset each other between now and then.

Vince was going to the garage late so that he could be with me, but also so that he could take me out for something to eat. We had been discussing having a date night for a long time but seen as he would be out of the garage for lunch it seemed like the perfect opportunity. So after we finished meeting with Lucy, Anna and Niall we went to my favourite food stand and found a nice little table to sit at. It was near the beach which made the whole thing seem a lot more calm and perfect.

"How are you liking being a boss?"

I glanced up. "I wouldn't really call it being a boss, not when I can't run the bar properly without you or Jamie."

He grinned, taking a bite out of his burger. "It's nice to have some control."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get too used to it," I warned. "I'm twenty-one on my next birthday."

"So you're gonna stop asking me for help once you're next birthday comes around?"

I smiled a little to myself. "Well, no, I doubt that."

"And anyway, you're thinking long term for the bar?" he questioned.

"We've done a lot of work with it so far, it seems stupid to consider giving it up too early."

Vince nodded in agreement. He finished the last of his burger, took a drink of his coffee and wiped his hands on a tissue. "Well, how about we make the next few days as normal and relaxing as possible before we need to open the bar. We seriously need to fit in another race, which means another party. Plus I figure we're not going to get as much alone time between this place opening and the space above it being more liveable, so I want to be a bit greedy with you until you open the place up."

I smirked, setting my own empty wrappers aside. "Oh, I don't know. I think I'm going to spend every second with the entire team but I guess I could consider some time for just you and I."

He leaned over the table and kissed me. "You know you've got all the time in the world for me."

As he sat back with that grin on his face I knew there was no way I could ever disagree with him.

* * *

**A/N: **_Super sorry about the delay, I went away for a week and got back Saturday. I started writing this on Monday but I was admittedly a bit lazy when it came to finishing it. Either way, thank you for any favourites, follows and reviews :)_

R&R


	7. Last Few Days

I looked around at all the cars. There seemed to be a little more here tonight than usual, which was more surprising seen as this was all put together last minute. Dom had had some kind of meeting with Hector and when he got back there was suddenly a race on. Seen as Vince and I had spoken the day before about making the most of our time before the bar opening, I figured he had something to do with it.

"So I hear you've got a new place for us to drink at?"

I looked at Hector as he came over to stand with me beside Vince's car. "Maybe, depends if it's your style."

"That Jamie guy you hang around with seems alright," Hector noted. "And usually the people he's with. Are all of the people at your bar like that?"

"When I was there... Most of them were decent people," I assured. "Unfortunately not all of them though."

"Yeah, that's how you and Dom met, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he helped me, probably saved my life."

"They're a good bunch."

I looked at where the team were laughing over something. It was hard not to agree with Hector. You could list all the bad things the team had done but it was nothing compared to the list of good things they had done in their lives.

"Plus, I've never seen Vince this tame before," Hector laughed before I could say anything. "Not even little Mia can make him this calm."

I smirked. "Even I had trouble at first."

"Well, whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it."

"He's still the same old, V," I told him. "He just doesn't let as much get to him. There isn't really that much to get at him now."

"Like ex-boyfriends and you not being interested in him?"

I rolled my eyes. "The past is in the past, Hector."

"Good, 'cause that team has never been better and I know your history with that bar." I gave him a questioning look. He smiled, shrugging his shoulders as he continued, "it's my job to know these things. I don't want any of you to go through it again because of this place, because of _him. _I know it'll be hard with-"

I frowned as he cut himself off. As he looked away I knew he was about to say something he shouldn't have. "Hard with what? The bar?"

"Yeah, the bar," he mumbled.

"Well what else is there?" I asked him. "What else could make all of this harder?"

"What are you two talking about?" Vince called.

I reluctantly looked away from Hector to see Vince making his way over. "Nothing, we were just discussing how Hector and the boys should come to the bar when it opens up."

"Definitely," Vince agreed. "The more that come to the opening the better. I have bets on how long our new bar staff can last."

"Ignore him, my staff will do just fine."

Vince laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he kissed the top of my head. "Come on, we have a party to get to."

I let Vince pull me away but I looked back at Hector. "You're coming to the party tonight, right?"

He looked like a deer caught in headlights, just indicating more to me that he really was going to say something he shouldn't. "I don't know, probably, maybe."

I looked away as Vince opened up his passenger side door for me. I couldn't think of reasons why this would be a hard thing now. It took some time but I was pretty much over what had happened. I was safe and other than not going near the place in a while, this bar would be a good thing. So what was he going on about? What could possibly make this so hard that it could tear the team apart?

* * *

As we drove along and after Vince got into the highest gear he needed, he took hold of my hand. He squeezed it, offering me a smile as he expertly moved the steering wheel with one hand. Cars were never really my thing, I liked them sure but I wasn't any good at fixing them or driving them if I was being completely honest, however seeing Vince drive so comfortably was one of the most fascinating things I had ever come across.

"What were you and Hector talking about?"

"Oh, nothing," I half-lied. "He just wanted to make sure I was sure about the bar. He knows it'll be hard for me but he doesn't want it to tear the team apart again."

"You'll be fine, right?"

"You know I will, I'm excited for Saturday," I told him, even going as far as to throw in a smile. "I guess no one passed that message on to Hector. Unless there's something else I should be worrying about?"

I saw his face change but he was smart enough to catch it. His face went completely blank so quick that I couldn't read his reaction. "No, what else could there be to worry about?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Babe, there's nothing to worry about," he assured, giving my hand an extra squeeze. "You would know if there was."

"You wouldn't lie to me, right?"

He turned the corner, taking us into the street before he looked my way. "Never."

I gave him a big smile as I nodded. I trusted Vince with my life, hell, he'd saved it before but he hesitated. I could hear the strain in his voice. He knew he was lying to me and he didn't want to. I was going to let it go for now, at least until after I had opened the bar then a family meeting would be on the cards. If he was keeping something from me and Hector knew about it then no doubt at least the guys knew about it as well.

* * *

Throughout the party I had let it go enough to have a good time. I even let Mia rope me into dancing to some of the most ridiculous songs I had ever heard. Seen as that was a Thursday, on Friday Dom only opened the garage for half a day. When everything was closed up everyone went to the diner but instead of going home, Vince took me away for a few hours.

I knew for sure it was probably a way to keep me from being so suspicious but I got to see a movie I knew Vince would never want to see, I got the last packet of M&Ms from the shop and I was even allowed to take my drink back to the fort in his car so I wasn't going to complain. The last wasn't always an issue unless the drink had one of those flimsy lids that always fell off, which mines was. It was a miracle that he restrained any sort of reaction as we drove home. It was honestly such a great day that I didn't talk to Vince about my conversation with Hector again.

It was the perfect last day before opening day. When Saturday arrived, I was probably the most prepared. I was up long before Vince and I roped Jamie into coming to pick me up. He and I met David and Del at the bar. I had left the team a note so that they could come straight to the bar. I really wanted to get everything ready. I wanted to double check everything was working and switched on.

"You do know you've got a few hours, right?" David called.

"Yeah," Del agreed. "Unless you're thinking of opening early?"

"Yeah," Jamie said as he opened up the dart board. "What are your open times?"

"I wanted your opinion on that before I make it official," I told them. "Niall, Lucy and Anna are fine with the extra hours if we decide on longer times."

"Well what opening times?"

"I was thinking six but we won't turn on the music or do any sort of deals till about seven or half seven," I explained. "That way those impatient people can still get in but we still have about an hour or so to do last minute things if we run out of time."

"That sounds good," Del agreed.

"And closing?" David asked.

"I was thinking midnight at the earliest for Friday and Saturday, probably a lot later than that in reality," I explained. "The rest of the days, definitely midnight."

"I'm sure most won't mind a bracket time," Jamie shrugged. "Any time between eleven and midnight Monday to Thursday plus Sunday. Then close Midnight to early hours of the morning on Friday and Saturday."

"Exactly," I agreed. "Things can always be more set in stone as time goes on. Is everything ready?"

"Just gotta turn on the jukebox and the rest of the lights."

"Shame, nothing for us to do."

I looked over as the team came into the bar. Leon and Vince both sat down with their feet propped up on the table. Mia rolled her eyes at them as she pulled Letty over to the bar. Jesse and Dom followed behind, the latter only stopping long enough to make sure Leon and Vince got up.

"Okay, four hours till opening," I said, looking up at the clock. "Niall, Anna and Lucy will be here about five, but that's it for now."

"Then let's have a drink," Vince decided. "You, Mia and Letty won't be able to once it's opened officially."

He was round the other side of the bar before anyone could stop him. Knowing that disagreeing with him would make no difference, I took a seat at the bar with everyone else. We all stood around and talked, making the most of drinking from the supply while we could.

* * *

The time passed quickly and opening time was upon us. The team had disappeared for a short to freshen up and would be back soon. Within minutes of opening the doors the place was filled. The dart board was being used, people were playing pool and the bar was surrounded with people ordering drinks. The usual smoke filled the air again. As it got busier we turned on the jukebox and changed the lighting slightly, it soon became so loud that you couldn't even hear your own voice.

I mingled a little with a few people I recognised. More people than I expected congratulated me on getting the place, others were thankful that I was keeping it open. The more people I talked to the more claustrophobic I began to feel. It felt all too familiar and I half expected to turn around and see Nate working behind the bar like old times. I pushed myself to talk to a few more people before I moved over to where Jamie, David and Del were sat at the end of the bar like usual. I slipped in between Jamie and Del.

"You okay?" Jamie whispered to me as he wrapped his arm around me.

I leaned into him. "I'm good. I'm just not used to this life anymore, I need some practice."

He chuckled, kissing the top of my head. "Whenever you want to go home, just let one of us know."

"The team will be back soon," I told him. "And I need to stay, it's the first night."

"There's not much you can do," he reminded. "So don't feel too bad if you do decided to."

I sat up, turning in my seat a little to look properly at him. "Jamie... Everything will work out, right? I've got nothing to worry about."

"What's she babbling on about now?" David asked as he motioned for Anna to get him another drink. "I've never seen this place so busy in all the years it's been open. You can't even work the bar and you're a natural."

"He's right," Del chipped in. "You've got nothing to worry about. People are going to begging you to work with them."

"I love you guys," I mumbled as I leaned back against Jamie.

I sat there for a while. The three of them joked and kept chatting away in order to keep me distracted. Every now and again I would push myself to walk around the place. I even went outside a few times to get some fresh air. Slowly my mind was becoming more and more adjusted to the new bar. It helped a lot when the team came back. Letty and Mia weren't there, I figured the factor of age had settled the decision. I doubted either of them would have been happy about it, but more often than not Dom gets his own way with them. Leon ruffled my hair as he and Jesse passed me to get to the bar and Dom smoothed it out again as he passed. Vince entered the bar last. He made his way over to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He then kissed my cheek before we moved to the bar.

* * *

**A/N: **_up next is a bar fight, some redecorating the space above the bar and some Vince/Ash time :)_

_R&R_


	8. My Bar

After the success of Saturday it was a blessing that Sunday still seemed to be a quiet day for the bar. A lot of people still came in but not half as many. That would be the day I would be looking forward to the most every week. Seen as it wasn't too busy and the team rarely opened the garage for too long, we all spent some time together.

The guys started up a game of pool which Letty crashed and ended up winning. For the short time that she and Mia were at the bar they made the most of it. It was just the team and I really. Anyone who came didn't stay too long before they were gone again. Niall, Anna and Lucy were hard at work, in the future Sundays would be a proper clean up day where everything would be looked at. Jamie, Del and David weren't there. Seen as Vince was with my at the bar Jamie took the chance to go out of town and David and Del went with him. I honestly didn't know half the things they got up to but I knew if it was half as illegal as it seemed then they would be in jail right now doing a long stretch.

After a day of just relaxing and even managing to fit in a family barbecue, I was more than prepared for the next week. So when Monday hit I had so much energy. I dragged Vince shopping and we bought a couple of things for the space above the bar. We started by painting parts of it and laying down some rugs on the wooden floors to keep a bit of warmth. We choose subtle, pastel colours and deep coloured rugs for contrast. Once we did that we set to work on getting rid of some things and moving things about ready for moving things in.

We worked on that until we needed to go back down to set the bar up. The only time we stopped working on the upstairs was to get some lunch. The team had joined us for that then they went back to work. Vince stayed with me to help out seen as Jamie was still out of town and wouldn't be back till a little later. I hadn't made any orders or anything so really I didn't need him to stay but it meant I could continue to drag him into decorating.

It didn't take much effort to get everything together. Niall, Lucy and Anna all helped out when they came in and we were all ready to go by time the first person walked through the door. It was steady flow of people this time. Eventually it built up but it not being all at once created this easy atmosphere.

Jamie, David and Del showed up about a two hours after opening. I was heading outside for some fresh air when they pulled up on their bikes. They stayed and talked to me for a little bit before they went inside. I chose to stay outside for a little bit longer. I sat down on the front steps and watched clouds of dirt get blown into the air by the wind.

It was almost peaceful and soothing. At least until I heard the sound of smashing glass coming from inside the bar. Rolling my eyes, I stood up, wondering what on earth could have happened. As I pushed the door open, it wasn't what I expected at all.

I was faced with a scene straight out of a movie. About four or five guys were fighting right in the middle of the room. Some people weren't paying any attention but most were staring or cheering. Upon closer examination it seemed like out of the five guys, the fight was mainly between two of them. Making my way around the edge of the room I moved to where the others were sat at the bar.

"Are you guys going to do something?" I demanded, motioning to the fight behind me as they watched it.

"Rule number one of running a bar," Del said, holding up a finger. "Don't get involved in bar fights."

"They mellow out eventually," David reassured.

"And if they end up in hospital?" I questioned.

"Then they're pretty lousy," Jamie shrugged. "Sit down, Ash, everything will be fine."

I looked between them and the fight. It was still going pretty strong and from the looks of things it started long before I heard the glass smash. It was starting to get a little out of hand now. No doubt things would end badly. There was no way I could wait for this to sizzle out on its own, and that became perfectly clear when blood sprayed the floor. I looked at the team but they too shrugged at me.

I sighed angrily. Not wasting another moment I moved over to the fight. At first I yelled for them to stop, demanding that they stopped more than asking but it didn't do a thing. So I took a leap of faith and stepped between the two guys. One of them went to throw a punch but twisted his body so his punch would go too far to the left and miss me.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded.

I figured he was sober in all of this and from the way the other guy chuckled I figured he had been the senseless drunk. The other three guys seemed to have stopped as well. Now everyone had their eyes on me.

"That was _me_ stopping _you_ from fighting in _my_ bar." I jabbed my finger against his chest when I emphasised the words 'me', 'you' and 'my'. The guy behind me chuckled in response to I turned a little so I could see them both. "Don't think the rest of you aren't in trouble too. I don't care how things were run here before. You cause repeated trouble and you're out, for good."

Groans came from the crowd and the drunk made slurs of protest. The sober one was the only one to say something I could actually hear (or understand). "That's not fair. This is our place just as much as yours."

"Then I suggest you behave," I warned. "I don't need this, it's not really what I signed up for. So either you get on board or you leave now." I addressed all five of them. "If you're going to struggle with this then I suggest you take it outside or finish up for the night."

The five of them looked at each other. One of them went to the drunk and helped with towards the door. The sober one was still watching me. He didn't seem to like my ultimatum but I was sticking to it. Anyone who continued to cause trouble like this would be barred, a couple of times I might accept but I was not in this to have my place get wrecked from the inside out. I had sat and watched shitty people come through those doors the whole time I'd known this place, now it was mine, I wasn't going to allow that.

"I guess the next rounds on me," he finally announced to the bar.

As everyone cheered he moved passed me to sit quietly at the bar, the other two guys following him. Letting out a shaky breath of relief I took a step back, the situation just hitting me. I had felt strong stepping in but I could have really ended up in the middle of a bar fight. I was just lucky that the guy who was about to throw the next punch was sober otherwise I would have been struck for sure.

Suddenly I felt a pair of arms wrap around my middle. Vince's sent washed over me and I leaned back into him. I closed my eyes briefly, taking a moment. I felt like I had some kind of new found strength.

"I'm proud of you, but you should be more careful next time," Vince whispered. "You could have gotten hit."

"I can handle myself," I shrugged, smiling a little to myself.

"I can see that but next time don't give us such a big heart attack."

I grinned as he kissed my neck softly. "I'll try, but did you see me?"

"I did," he mumbled against my skin. "Soon you're not going to need the rest of us, _boss_."

I turned around in his arms. Instantly I was on my toes and pressing my lips softly to his. "Boss," I repeated. "I like the sound of that."

* * *

_R&R_


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